Singapore Ballet’s 2026 Masterpieces season brings together three works that approach ballet from distinctly different directions. The programme moves from Goh Choo San’s refined neoclassical choreography to Nils Christe’s playful interpretation of Baroque music and Timothy Rushton’s fast-paced, physically demanding Quiver.
Together, the three works offer audiences a glimpse of the range of artistic and technical demands the Singapore Ballet’s dancers can handle.
Schubert Symphony Builds From Restraint to Energy
The programme opens with Schubert Symphony, choreographed by the late Singaporean choreographer Goh Choo San for the Washington Ballet in the 1980s. The work is set to Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 2 in B-flat, beginning with the first movement, Largo – Allegro vivace, whose title indicates a progression from a broad, slower quality towards a faster and more lively pace.
The opening section does not immediately capture the full vitality of the music. Although the dancers demonstrate solid technical control, their movement initially appears more measured than the energy of the score suggests.
The performance gains greater warmth in the second movement. The female dancers respond particularly well to the music’s softer, flowing character, with Kana Minegishi and Tamana Watanabe standing out in their respective solo passages. Their precision and charm give the section a graceful quality that complements Schubert’s score.
Attention then shifts towards the male dancers in the third movement. Their coordinated leaps and jumps display impressive ballon, the ballet term describing the appearance of lightness and suspension during a jump.
The technical challenge of Schubert Symphony extends beyond executing the choreography itself. Goh’s neoclassical approach demands exceptionally precise lines and consistency across the ensemble, requiring the dancers to move with a strong sense of collective unity.
At around 30 minutes, the work also requires sustained physical effort. The company takes time to settle into the choreography, but its confidence gradually grows as the piece develops. By the final movement, the dancers have built enough momentum to bring the work to an energetic conclusion.
Purcell Pieces Takes Ballet in a Playful Direction
The second work changes the atmosphere considerably.
Choreographed by Dutch choreographer Nils Christe, Purcell Pieces moves away from the polished neoclassical vocabulary of Schubert Symphony. The female dancers exchange their pointe shoes for socks, while the choreography introduces movements and positions that sit outside the more familiar visual language of classical ballet.
The dancers curl into foetal shapes, roll along the floor, work with bent knees and elbows, and incorporate unexpected movements such as hip shaking. These choices give the piece a deliberately unconventional physical character.
The choreography is set to a selection of works by English Baroque composer Henry Purcell, whose music creates an interesting contrast with the movement.
Christe also finds humour in the relationship between the choreography and its theatrical setting. The combination of Baroque music, subdued lighting and black-and-gold costumes creates a visual atmosphere that could easily feel serious, yet the dancers repeatedly disrupt that expectation through their playful physicality.
The humour becomes even more apparent when movements respond to the words being sung in some of Purcell’s musical pieces. Rather than simply illustrating the music, the choreography uses it as an opportunity for comic timing and physical play.
As part of Singapore Ballet’s repertoire, Purcell Pieces provides a welcome change in tone. It expands the programme beyond conventional ballet movement and gives the dancers room to explore a lighter, more mischievous quality.
Quiver Ends the Programme at Full Speed
The final work, Quiver, shifts the programme into a more explosive register.
Choreographed by British choreographer Timothy Rushton, the piece takes its title from two meanings of the word. A quiver can refer to a container for arrows, while “quiver” can also describe a trembling or shaking motion. Both ideas appear throughout the choreography.
The dancers move rapidly across the stage from multiple directions, producing a sense of constant motion. Their speed and trajectories create the impression of arrows travelling through the performance space.
Another recurring motif involves the dancers rapidly shaking their arms, with their hands open and fingers extended. The movement gives a literal physical quality to the second meaning of the title.
Speed is central to the work. The choreography combines sudden changes of direction with off-balance movements and demanding pointe work, requiring the dancers to maintain control while moving at considerable pace.
The scale of the finale is equally striking. With 30 dancers, or 15 couples, on stage, Quiver creates a much fuller visual picture than the works that precede it.
The combination of ensemble size, speed and technical difficulty makes for an exhilarating conclusion. It also highlights the development of Singapore Ballet as a company capable of presenting works that demand different forms of precision, musicality, physical control and ensemble coordination.
Three Works, Three Different Challenges
The strongest aspect of Masterpieces lies in the contrast between its three works.
Schubert Symphony asks the dancers to prioritise precision, clean lines and cohesion. Purcell Pieces loosens those conventions, introducing humour and a more unconventional physical vocabulary. Quiver, meanwhile, pushes the company towards speed, scale and physical intensity.
Rather than presenting a single image of what Singapore Ballet can be, the programme allows the dancers to move between very different artistic demands. The contrast reveals a company that is increasingly comfortable navigating both the discipline of classical ballet and the more experimental possibilities within contemporary choreography.
Read the Original Article: Masterpieces’ diverse triple bill showcases Singapore Ballet’s growth
